The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Monday, October 13, 1879.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 920, 13 October 1879, Page 2

The Poverty Bay Herald AND East Coast News Letter. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. Monday, October 13, 1879.

The publication of the annual statistics of the colonies of Australasia which includes New Zealand, from the office of the Registrar-General of New South Wales comes in time to form a very important contribution to the material evidences of the progress of the several colonies. These tables, present us at a glance with a view of the stage of growth reached by the colonies in 1878, so far as it is possible to convey this in figures. Thus we learn that the aggregate population of the Australasian colonies and New Zealand at that time, taking the mean of the year, was upwards of two and a half millions, the figures being 2,557,051. The total revenue was £17,357,310,. orjustabouta fifth of that of the United Kingdom. The value of imports was £50,545,966, and of exports L44,196,737. The colonies have 3,977 miles of railway open, besides 1,159 miles in course of construction, 25,370 mile* of telegraph

lines open, and 4,229 miles in course of construction. There were 6,594,757 awes of land under crop, 1,099,878 horses; 7,402,659 cattle; and 61,066,100 sheep. Reverting to the population, this, at the end of the year, as distinguished from the mean estimate before quoted, was estimated at 2,603,122. At that time the total public debt of the colonies was L67,506,521, being an average indebtedness of L25 18s. 7d. per head. Turning from the general totals under these different heads to" a comparison of the colonies themselves, we find some instructive particulars. Thus, taking the import and export trade we find that in New Zealand the imports per head of the population were L2O 13s 6d, while the value of exports per head was LI 4 4s Id. If then we want to find a solution to our commercial and financial embarrassments here we have it. We send away to other countries £20 13s. 6d. for imported goods, which we only export as much as £14 4s. Id. to pay for them. We are, as near as may be, in the case of a man in receipt of an income of £500 a year, who spends £730. It is only a question of time how soon he comes to grief. The public indebtedness of New Zealand per head of population is £52 ss. 6d. The next highest is Queensland, which is £42 Bs. lid. The third highest is South Australia, which is £21 Bs. sd. The lowest is Western Australia, which is £6 11s. per head. The rate of taxation per head of population is as follows : — £ s. d. New South Wales ... 118 7 Victoria... .. ... 1 19 10 South Australia ... 2 2 8 Queensland 3 7 1 Tasmania ... ... 2 5 7 Western Australia ... 214 2 New Zealand 3 12 5 These figures show that New Zealand is the heavest taxed and the heaviest indebted Colony in the Southern hemisphere. The average indebtedness of New South Wales, Victooia, South Australia, Queensland, Tasmania, is £20 13s. Bd. That of New Zealand is Fifty-two POUNDS FIVE SHILLINGS and FIVEPENCE. We want something more than a battle among Parliamentary combatants to ease us oT our present heavy embarrassments. We do not think that " liberal measures will even answer the purpose. The figures we have quoted are accurate, and shows that we are on the brink of a larger commercial wash than has yet fallen upon us. There are two things which must be done to save the country from ruin. We must spend less and earn more, as is the case with other colonies.